Name: Donna
Message: I've just discovered your site - it's great! Can you recommend a good book on ACID dyeing? I've got lots of info. on fiber reactive, but not much on acid dyes and I"m "into" silk dyeing, or would like to be if I could find enuf info. on this subject. Thanks.

The world of acid dyes is immense, as there are many more different types of dyes that fall into this classification, including food coloring as well as more toxic dye.

I would start by recommending the out-of-print dyer's classic, "Synthetic Dyes for Natural Fibers", by Linda Knudson, which can often be found at online used booksellers, for a reasonable price (under $15). In my opinion, every serious dyer needs this book, as it covers many different types of dye. Really a great book.

A more recent book that covers the use of Lanaset dye, as well as the group of acid dyes sold by ProChem as Washfast Acid Dyes, is Karren Brito's Shibori: Creating Color & Texture on Silk . (She refers to the Washfast Acid Dyes by one of the many trade names that have been applied to them - "Nyloamines".) Her information on resists and texture cannot fail to be of interest to a silk dyer, but the basic dyeing information on acid dyes is good, as well.

There are also many books on the subject of silk painting, which is frequently done by applying a dye, rather than a paint, and steam-setting the dye. (Paint differs in that is is held to the fabric by glue that is mixed with the color.) These books tend to focus on how to apply the dye or paint, though, rather than on the dye itself.